Eraser
by Inverted Shadows
Summary: (Co-written by Alexia Goddess & Arion) IMPORTANT NOTICE TO READERS
1. Intro

Eraser

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_By: **Alexia Goddess** and **Arion,**_

_together known as_

**_Inverted Shadows._**

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**_The Plot, All Original Characters, and All Original Ideas are ©copyright of the_**

**_aforementioned, Alexia Goddess and Arion._**

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**_DO NOT reproduce without permission. _**

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Now enter at your own risk… 

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	2. Chapter One: Never Judge a Book by its C...

**Eraser**

By Inverted Shadows (Alexia Goddess and Arion)

Disclaimer:

Gundam Wing and all its characters are copyright of their rightful owners and we make no claim to it, neither are we making a profit off of this. All the original characters that did not appear in the series, manga, or Endless Waltz are copyright of us and may not be borrowed or reproduced without permission. 

**Chapter One **

_Never Judge a Book by Its Cover_

"Ooooooooh, booooooys...." Kitty Sinclair poked her head around the open doorway that lead into the common room of the suite of rooms in the International Sanq School of Pacifism Teachings. This particular suite was occupied by the infamous Gundam Pilots.

"Don't do that; you sound like a show girl trying out a new catcall." Aria Connson strode past Kitty and into the room.

"Hey, anyone in here?" Aria called, ignoring Kitty sticking out her tongue to Aria's back.

"Tell me again, why we agreed to show these girls around when they first got here?" A voice grumbled, the owner of a the voice, an eighteen-year-old, violet eyed boy with long brown hair in a thick braid entered the common room by way of a door that led into his room.

"We?" Another voice shouted in indignation. "YOU volunteered us, Maxwell!"

"I never heard you put up an argument, Wu-man!" Duo shot back to the disembodied voice. Aria and Kitty exchanged looks.

"Can you two just quit it?" Aria sighed sourly as the owner of the voice that had called the brown haired boy 'Maxwell' entered the room. Presently, three other boys made their presence known.

Following the boy with the long chestnut braid and the sour looking Chinese teen came a gentle looking blonde with soft aquamarine eyes much like Kitty's own. Next came the tall and commonly silent brunet, he nodded to them and proceeded to sit in one of the armchairs. And finally last, another dark-haired teen with piercing cold blue eyes. His long bangs were slightly sticking to his damp forehead, his bare torso glittering with beads of sweat as well.  Giving the two a silent glare, he proceeded to dab the sweat off his face and then carelessly drape the towel over his shoulder.    

"Heero, you seem to have forgotten your shirt" Aria bluntly pointed out the obvious as she settled comfortably in a chair, propping her feet up on the desk.

"What do you want?" he demanded, ignoring Aria; Kitty, not missing the subtle gleam in her best friend's eye, grinned.

"Well, I think I know what Aria wants, but- ouch!" Kitty rubbed her now sore ribs where Aria had, without hesitation, rammed her elbow into the slightly shorter girl's ribcage. "Meanie." Was all Kitty

pouted.

"Aw, poor baby," Duo said, sidling up beside the blonde. "Want Shinigami to kiss it and make it better?"

"Oh, knock it off," Aria growled as Kitty burst into giggles. 

"Aria, this is the International Sanq School of _Pacifism_ Teachings, as in no-hitting-your-best-friend-or-anything-of-that-sort," she smiled.  

The brunette frowned as she leaned further out in the chair, coming dangerously close to tipping over. 

"You're telling me," she muttered "They made me turn in my karate gi this morning. I tried explaining that it's a sport, but Miss Peace_crap_ wouldn't hear of it."

"Tsk, tsk, missy," Kitty wagged her finger at the ebony eyed girl. "Watch your tongue."

"As if you don't!" the blonde, Quatre, laughed, reminding Kitty of the many times she herself had used the word 'kuso,' albeit it had only been in flights of temper.

"Hey, it doesn't count if it's not in your native tongue," Kitty said, self-righteously as she shifted her backpack that she was carrying, that also matched the one Aria had dropped onto the floor next to her.

"We came to ask for help," Aria said matter of factly, getting back to the point, as Wufei, the aforementioned teen of Chinese origin, began to intensify his glare.

"Watch it, onna, or you'll trip on that appendage," Wufei snapped.

"Excuse me?" Aria tipped forward in her chair so that she was sitting with her elbows placed firmly on her knees, and glared at the Shenlong pilot. "Do you want to repeat that?"

Kitty sighed as Wufei stood, glaring daggers - an act which Aria was returning in the full.

"Wufei, you are just too easy to bait," Duo smirked. Wufei growled and turned on the braided American pilot.

"Oh, stop it, you two," Kitty rolled her eyes and stood in the center of the room. "Here it is, plain and simple," She said when Wufei turned away from Duo and stomped over to sit in an armchair across from Aria. Kitty smoothly stepped to her right to cut off their direct view of each other, as well as the glaring contest they were initiating.

"We," Kitty said with a dramatic sigh. "Need your help."

"You said that," Heero said, monotone, per usual, leaning against the doorframe of his room.

"Let me get to the point, Mr. Freak Hair," Kitty pouted.

"Okay, we didn't come in here to discuss his hair," Aria glowered in annoyance, "Besides, yours wouldn't be much better if you ever got up off your arse long enough to do any exercise."

"I do too exercise!" Kitty whirled on her 'best friend.' "What do you call five different dance classes a week? Including point ballet?"

"You quit point ballet." Aria smirked. 

"Ladies, please," Quatre's ever peacekeeping, diplomatic trained voice

cut in.

"Hmph," was all Kitty said as she turned and stomped over to stand beside Duo, who winked at her, causing her to blush and forget her anger.

"Dear god," Aria rolled her eyes. "_We need help with our homework, okay?"_

"Finally," Trowa muttered, his first vocal verdict from the time Aria and Kitty had entered the suite. 

"Hey, I would have said it just fine if miss Prissy hadn't-"

"Girls."  Again, Quatre intervened.

Kitty sighed and then pouted, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"So, help us or not?" Aria asked, frowning. She didn't find any of this amusing.

"Sorry, but, not." Duo tossed up his hands and promptly turned and left the room, closing his door.

"Traitor," Kitty muttered.

"You can't do some simple homework yourselves? Weak onnas" Wufei stated in distaste and headed out of the room. 

"_You're_ weak!" Aria yelled to his retreating back, "Otherwise you would've fought me by now instead of putting in your lame remarks every freakin' second!" 

"What 'bout you, Mr. Perfect?" Kitty batted her eyelashes flirtatiously at Heero while Aria was busy yelling at Wufei. "_Please help Aria and me? Pweety Pweeeeease with a cherry on top? But, oh, if you don't like cherries, it can certainly be something else, and," her face lit up suddenly, a light bulb practically flashing over her blonde head. "I know! We'll keep you safe from Relena for a whole week!"_

Aria rolled her eyes. "Kitty, you're always the one who gives Relena the tips on where Heero is in the first place!"

Kitty threw a panicked look to Heero as she desperately tried to hush her best friend. "Shut up!" She hissed. Aria smirked and Kitty stuck her tongue out as Quatre visibly tried to suppress his laughter. Heero, on the other hand, did nothing to attempt to hide the intensifying of his deathglare.

Kitty paled and jumped behind the armchair Trowa was sitting in. "Gulp," Was all she said, as Quatre chuckled and Trowa said, "I knew Relena must have been having some help. She may be a brilliant genius in the area of politics and dealing with people -well, most people- but to track Heero so relentlessly and so well..." He shook his head; his arch of hair over his forehead not even twitching with the movement.

"Hey, you guys don't honestly think she follows Heero around because she's genuinely the lovesick idiot you think she is, do you?" Kitty defended the woman whom she had (note: 'had,' not 'did) admired. "She probably just chases him around for the fun of it. Even politicians need some sort of fun."

Everyone stared at the blonde Kitty as if wondering how one could come up with such an idiotic explanation.

"_Anyway,_" Aria cut in, turning the attention to herself instead of Kitty. "Are you gonna help us or not?" 

Heero's answer was another sharp glare and the slam of his door. Kitty smirked at the small hint of disappointment in Aria's eyes.  

Quatre sighed and shook his head at the stoic, Prussian blue eyed pilot's 'answer.' He looked at the disappointed -though she hid that particular emotion exceptionally well- Aria and smiled gently.

"What is it you need help with?" He asked. Kitty, knowing that the question and his tone combined meant he would help, jumped out from her hiding place from behind Trowa's chair and collapsed to her knees before the Arabian pilot.

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" Kitty reached up from her position on her knees before him and grabbed Quatre's hand, kissing it without mercy. The boy's face turned redder than a tomato, and Aria burst out laughing while Trowa shook his head. Quatre gave his friend a pleading look, to which Trowa only smirked -as much as Trowa ever smirked, anyway._

"Kit, if you want them to help, you might want to stop scaring the hell out of them," Aria forced out through her laughter. 

At last, still completely oblivious to the discomfort she'd caused her fellow blonde, Kitty jumped up, perky as ever and hugged him impulsively before turning her all too well known, 'big, watery, oh-so-innocent puppy eyes' on Trowa. Trowa chuckled and nodded.

"Okay, well _she_ needs help with math," Aria informed them as she took a seat on the floor and began spreading her books and papers, "And I need help with Biology. Plus, we both have a History project due and let's just say we haven't gotten past our name and the date."  

Quatre shook his head and Aria fixed him with a deathglare of her own, that Kitty was sure could rival Heero's.

"Shut up." she instructed sourly. 

"What?" Quatre asked incredulously. "I didn't say anything!" Even Kitty couldn't tell if the innocence in his voice was faked or genuine. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mr. Innocent, shut up and help us." Aria muttered. 

"Let's go to the library," Trowa suggested. "Better light and better research."

"But it's quiet" Aria pouted.

"Good point," Quatre said, frowning. Silence was a key ingredient to successful studying... He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. 

"I know!" He said. "Miss Relena gave me and the others access to her personal library. The light is even better there, so are the resources, and no one will bother us."

"Plus," Trowa added, smiling. "If we need something from the main library, we can always send one of the staff."

"Ooooooh...servants?" Kitty's eyes began to sparkle.

"Down, Kit," Aria rolled her eyes. "I can see those little visions of you playing Princess already. Stop it. We're going to study, not plan a tea party."

"Do you enjoy ruining my fun?" Kitty pouted. Aria smirked.

"Sometimes." She said. Kitty stuck out her tongue, but her eyes were laughing nonetheless.

"Can't we just study here?" Aria asked slightly irritated. She seemed reluctant to leave. "Wouldn't want to run into the witch herself"

"Aw, don't worry, Ari," Kitty cooed. "I'll keep you save from the Witch of West." She raised her hands over her head and raised herself up on her toes, her entire body nothing but liquid grace. "Just say the word and the Witch of the North is at your command." She extended one leg out behind her, one arm out to the side, and her other arm in an arch, her fingers poised as if she held a magic wand.

"Oh, grow up," Aria said and reached up to shove her best friend over, grinning the whole while. Kitty went down with a shriek, then glared mockingly at the brunette as she picked herself up and finger combed her hair.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; you have no sense of romance," Kitty sniffed. Quatre only shook his head, laughing quietly while Trowa suppressed a small smile.

Aria raised an eyebrow.

"Romance? In the _Wizard of Oz?"_

Kitty shook her head. "Never mind, just never mind."

Aria gave her a strange look as she began to open her book, and muttered something along the lines of 'whatever'.         

"May I point out we have no table?" Trowa stated. Kitty and Aria both looked at him and blinked. In sync, they said, "So?"

"Don't tell me you guys have never done homework on the floor?" Aria raised an eyebrow.

"W-well..." Quatre looked sheepish. "Actually," He said. "We haven't...at least, Trowa and I haven't. And if Duo ever did homework, it was probably so long ago he doesn't remember if he did it at a table or not."

"Well, then, boys, I guess we get to introduce you to the art of casual homework doing, floor style." Kitty laughed, and plopped down on the floor beside Aria. 

"Have a seat," she laughed and Aria motioned for the two pilots to sit down across from them on the floor. Quatre and Trowa exchanged glances, and sat. 

"So how does it compare?" Aria grinned at the somewhat uncomfortable-looking pilots. 

Quatre opened his mouth to answer, but was silenced by Duo who had come out of his room and stopped abruptly in the doorway. 

"I don't believe my eyes!!!" he gasped.  

The blond pilot blushed in embarrassment, thinking that the library would have been a much better choice. Duo's eyes went back and forth between Aria and Kitty and Quatre and Trowa.

"Okay.....where are Q-man and Trowa and who are you two?" Duo asked, pointing to the two G-Pilots.

Aria rolled her eyes. "Get lost Duo, we're busy."

Duo stuck his tongue out at Aria, who only smirked. Kitty giggled and gave him a wink, which he returned, before turning with a flip of his braid and left to see what Heero was doing. 

Duo entered the stoic pilot's room to see Heero examining a wall map...which happened to be right next to the door. Duo got an evil look on his face as he closed the door behind him. 

"It's rude to eavesdrop, ya know," The former Shinigami smirked as Heero gave Duo his an icy look -betraying that Duo's guess had been right- and returned to his precious laptop.

"Hey, c'mon, Hee-man, it's not a crime to want to eavesdrop on two hot chicks," Duo leaned against the wall, a smirk on his face. Despite Heero not even glancing at Duo and calmly continuing typing, Duo knew he had the Wing Pilot's attention.

"There are plenty...other methods of spying," Duo hinted.

"And I'm sure you know every single one, Duo." Heero's voice was, unsurprisingly, flat and monotone.

"I do." the braided pilot smirked proudly and when Heero didn't reply, continued, "So, you in or what?"

"Duo, I'm not gonna get involved in one of your machinations" he deadpanned. 

"They might be spies"

Heero looked away from the screen long enough to raise an eyebrow at him.

"I'm serious!" Duo cried as he crossed the room to stand in front if Heero and continued in a hushed whisper, "Think about it Hee-man, they appear out of nowhere after the beginning of the year, in our class by the way. And now they hang around us practically every second of the day _and come to our suite!"  _

"You're point being?" Heero glared at Duo out of the corner of his eye as he turned back to his task of decrypting a disk that had been delivered to him earlier that day. "And they 'hang around us' and come to our suite, because _you invite them."_

 He didn't like the idea of Aria being an enemy...why? For the first time, he had no clue.

"Come on, man!" Duo pleaded. "Think about it! If you weren't so hot for Aria, you would have been spying on them long before it ever occurred to me!"

The statement was barely past Duo's foolish lips before Heero had a pistol pressed into Duo's left temple. Duo sighed.

"You see?" He said and pointed to the gun. "This only proves it!"

"I am not 'hot' for anyone, Duo." Was Heero's only monotone reply as he took his gun away, put the safety back on and slid it under his desk once more.

Duo only smirked. "Suuuuuuure..." He said, and headed for the door. Before he reached it, however, Heero's computer beeped, his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Duo." Heero stated.

"What?" Duo asked, smirking, thinking he'd won. He sighed, and his face fell, however, when he turned and saw the computer screen. Flashing across it in bright red letters was the following:

NEW MISSION:

OBSERVE AND TRAIL ARIANA CONNSON AND KAETHERINE SINCLAIR.

"T-th-they're really spies?" Duo stuttered then realizing his mistake, corrected himself "Like I said!"

Heero ignored him as he stood and soundlessly moved to the door, listening intently.

"We should really go the library, girls, there is no way we can do this project without more research" Quatre spoke back in the other room.

Heero and Duo both listened closely, and only when they were positive that the foursome were well on their way to the library –Aria complaining the whole way- did they exit Heero's room, only to meet up with Wufei. 

Wufei and Heero both exchanged knowing looks; Wufei had gotten the mission as well.

"I knew there was something off about those onnas," Wufei snarled.

"Hey, we don't know for sure they're enemies," Duo snapped, for some reason disliking the idea of anyone mistreating Kitty. "For all we know our mission might be to protect them, not destroy them; all the mission said to do was _watch them!"_

"Duo is right." Heero said. He wasn't sticking up for a friend; he was simply stating that Duo's facts were valid.

Wufei snorted. "As you say," He said with a slight sneer. "But we'd best hurry. I'll take the underground tunnels that go under the floor of the library."

"We'll take the air ducts in the ceiling," Heero informed his comrade, and Duo, a worried expression on his face, followed the 'perfect soldier' to a panel on the wall. Heero took it off with ease, and crawled inside. Duo sighed, flung a deep wish that Kitty wasn't an enemy to the wind, and crawled in after him.

**_To Be Continued…_**

A/N:

**Alexia Goddess:     *gorgeous blonde walks on screen, holding microphone* Greetings, earthlings! IT'S FINALLY DONE!!!!! *does happy dance* We've been working on the plot FOREVER and have finally delivered, for your enjoyment, 'Eraser, Chapter One: Never Judge a Book By its Cover.' This first chapter is a bit of a teaser, get you curious. And now... *tosses mic to co-writer* Lets give it up to the backbone behind the creation of this story... *drumroll* The goddess that brought you 'Predator,' ARION!!!!**

**Arion: *a tall, long-haired brunette walks forward toward the audience and coolly grabs the mic in mid air as she stands next to her blonde companion* Thanks, Alexia. *slaps upside the head nonchalantly, snorts* goddess...Anyhow, like I said, the blonde you had just heard from, *points* is none other that Alexia Goddess who wrote the original "Kitten" and it's many sequels. We really did work hard on this, and frankly, we're both rather happy with it. We both hope it measures up to all of our individual works, and that since our single-handed fics seemed to be such a success, we thought if we wrote together somethin' really great must come out. Let us know if we were right, ne?**

**_Alexia Goddess:__      *sticks out tongue in response to the slap upside head* *turns back to audience* Couldn't agree more! Let us know if you think this is worth continuing, eh? Remember, this is the first attempt at co-writing something for the both of us. Constructive criticism is welcome, but plain, stupid flames that do nothing more than display the flamer's own cowardice an idiocy, well...*shrugs* I let Arion handle those, and believe me, *laughs* once she's done with you there won't be enough left to bury._**

_On that happy note, *slaps on halo* Adieu!_

**_Arion:__     *smirks* Ja ne!_**


	3. Chapter Two: A Photogenic Moment Die, Ki...

**Eraser**

_By _**Arion**_ and _**Alexia Goddess**

**Chapter Two**

_A Photogenic Moment: Die Kitty, Die._

Aria, Kitty, Trowa and Quatre walked down the now empty large hallway to Relena's personal library Quatre had suggested. As they neared their destination, the library's door opened and Miss Peacecraft herself stepped out. Aria grimaced and would have made a 180-degree turn if Relena hadn't already spotted them and wasn't walking in their direction. 

            "Quatre, Trowa, how are you?" she greeted the pilots with a smile then turned to the Kitty and her. "Hello Kitty, Aria."

Her gaze ran up and down the brunette and she furrowed her eyebrow, Aria gave her a false sugary sweet smile that Relena stupidly mistook for a real one. 

"Miss Connson, I hate to tell you again, your clothes are not appropriate according to the dress code," she said crisply, insisting on calling Aria 'miss Connson' despite the fact that they were the same age.  

            Aria looked down on her outfit of form-fitting blue jeans and a black top short enough to expose her midriff and fixed Relena with a blank look that the fellow brunette missed for she was busy looking at her palm pilot.

"Oh yes, also, Miss Connson, I have taken the liberty of enrolling you into an anger management class here at the school. I am hoping it will keep you out of trouble." She snapped the small computer-like device shut and started to leave but turned once more, "It's not an option, it is mandatory that you attend"

With that she left and would have been jumped and killed by Aria if she hadn't been restrained by Quatre and Trowa both.

"I am gonna murder her, then cut her up into little pieces and feed her to stray dogs!" she raged as she was being dragged off into the library. 

"Aria!" Kitty chided her best friend. "At least be polite! She's been raised to act like that! You know politicians; give her some slack. She's been a lot nicer to you than some of our previous principles, you know.

"Yeah, yeah, but none of them got on my nerves the way she does..." Aria grumbled as Quatre and Trowa sat her down at a table. Kitty only grinned and shook her head.

  "Go ahead, smile, you're not the one who's been put into _anger management_ classes!" Aria snapped as she took one look at Kitty.

"Do I _look_ like I need _anger management_ classes?!" she exclaimed as she turned to glare at Trowa and Quatre, slamming her fist on the desk in the process.

Up in the air ducts the two pilots neared the library and Duo snorted upon hearing Aria's exclamation.   

"I'm not going to answer that because of the simple fact that I value my life," Kitty said, raising her hands slightly as if in defense as she sat down and opened her math book. She stared at the figures and scowled.

"Did some whacko go on a sugar high some time and decide to construct a whole new language that has absolutely no purpose in real life and is even more boring and incomprehensible?" Kitty cried, raising her hands to the sky. "I ask you; what is the point of wanting to know how much water is in the pool? _Why?_"

"So that you don't jump into a half empty pool and crack your head open?" Aria suggested slyly. 

Kitty scowled and Duo once again snorted, immediately receiving a blow from Heero.

"Shut up, Maxwell"  

   "Hey, did you guys hear something?" Quatre asked. Silence engulfed those at the table -and the entire room since they were the only occupants- as Quatre held up his hand, listening intently.

"Must have been your imagination," Aria shrugged, and opened her science book, her eyes immediately growing to the size of dinner plates.

"Q-Quatre...?" she squeaked.

"Yes?" Quatre raised an eyebrow, scooting over to sit by Aria, as Trowa moved to assist Kitty with her math. Aria swallowed and pointed to the table of elements graph.

"Do I have to memorize this?" She asked. Quatre grinned.

"Well, it's very, very useful if you do, but it's not necessary." Aria released a sigh of relief.

            Quatre, sweet, gentle Quatre then got a devious look on his face. "But you do have to memorize at least the major elements." He said, forgetting to mention that of which there were only five. Aria glared at him and muttered something under her breath, best left unrepeated.

Opening up her notebook to a fresh page she began writing down notes on the cursed table of elements. Across from her, Kitty was attempting to grasp the concepts of mathematical modeling and Trowa looked like he was going to A) shoot Kitty, B) shoot himself, or C) all of the above. Aria smirked to herself; suddenly memorizing the elements didn't look all that bad.  

"Oh!" Kitty exclaimed. "I get it!" Trowa glanced heavenward as if in a prayer of thanks. He then looked down to see that Kitty was doing the problem even worse than before... Kitty glanced up at Trowa's forlorn expression and giggled, erasing her wacked-out-idiot-logic-problem.

"Just kidding!" She said, and, to Trowa's joy, did the problem correctly.

Aria smirked then burst into laughter. "Nice Kitty, give Trowa a heart attack why don't ya?" 

The blonde glared at her mockingly and despite his no sore ribs, Duo snorted louder than before. The four in the library froze abruptly.

"This time I'm positive I heard something" Quatre stated in a whisper and the others nodded. Aria got up in order to listen better but was immediately knocked off her feet. The ceiling tiles had collapsed, showering debris and dry paint down on them. The object that had knocked her down was no other than the Wing Zero pilot himself. It didn't take Aria more than two seconds for her expression to change from surprised to angry. 

"Get the hell off of me, Yuy!" she shrieked, not stopping long enough to listen to herself.   

"Ohmigod!" Kitty screeched. "Duo!" Duo was laying on his back on the table, laughing and groaning all at once.

"Oh, no, are you okay?" Kitty gasped, that last directed at Heero, whom was still struggling -amidst slaps and whacks from a red faced Aria- to get himself off his 'landing pillow.'

"Duo, you okay?" Kitty asked, worry all over her face as Duo picked himself up, a hand to his ribs as he slid himself off the table. His leg with a pulled muscle buckled slightly, but Kitty caught him.

"J-just fine, love..." Duo coughed, a grin on his face nonetheless at having Kitty's arms around him. Kitty sat him down in a chair, her hands everywhere at once, checking for injuries. She even checked behind his ears! When she discovered he was fine, she kissed him on the forehead and then went to assist a red faced (apparently from anger, everyone thought, but Kitty knew better....) Aria up, as the 'perfect soldier' had managed -with no help from Aria- to untangle his limbs from hers.

Slapping Kitty's hands away the second she was up on her feet, Aria deathglared Heero, and busied herself with dusting off her clothes. Kitty –seeing that Aria wasn't going to do it- went to ask Heero if he was alright. She was greeted with sharp glares and a 'hn' in response. 

Seeing that the chalk was nearly permanently embedded into her outfit, Aria ran a hand through her hair and finally turned her fury onto Heero, forgetting that Duo was a part of this in the process. 

"What the hell were you doing?!" she glared, and Trowa wondered how soon she would need restraining. 

"Five bucks she goes for his throat in twenty seconds," Duo murmured to Trowa. Trowa glanced at the braided American pilot, a slight, amused twinkle in his dark green eyes.

"Deal," He said.

Kitty, overhearing this, glared at Duo. Duo, looking sheepish, gave her a wink. Kitty shook her head and looked back at the shouting, raging, red faced Aria, and the _smirking _Heero. His lips were quirked in the very so slight, tiny, barely detectable smirk.

Kitty, a devious idea entering her blonde mind, went to stand behind Duo. While fishing around in her backpack for a particular item, she leaned down and whispered into Duo's ear...

Duo's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas, and he turned around and kissed Kitty on the corner of the mouth.

"You are a dream," He told her. "A devious dream, but a dream nonetheless." Kitty was only able to stutter in pleased surprise as Duo turned away from her and stood, limping towards where Aria and Heero were still having their glaring match.

Just then, Kitty found what she had been searching for by hand only, and gripped the small, disposable camera...grinning wickedly... Trowa caught her eye and raised an eyebrow, and Kitty gave him a wink.

"Hey, c'mon, Aria, it wasn't all his fault," Duo told her, walking up to her. "He wouldn't have been up there if it wasn't for me- well, actually, he probably would have done it on his own, anyway, but-" As expected, Heero lashed out an arm at the Shinigami, and at just the right time, pilot reflexes coming in very handy, Duo shoved Aria into Heero's outstretched arms.

The click of a camera was heard, as were the outraged sounds of a very angry brunette chasing a wildly laughing blonde out of the library and down the hall. 

"Give me that camera or I'm gonna pry it out of your cold, dead hands after I've killed you and burned- oh, hi, Miss Relena."

The pilots exchanged looks just before the door to the library was pushed open and in walked Relena, literally dragging both girls in by their collars. She dropped them onto the floor and her face turned paler than the wall as she saw what they had done to her precious library. 

"What is the meaning of this?" she shouted angrily, completely oblivious to the fact that Aria had Kitty by the throat behind her.   

"Duo-chan..." Kitty squeaked.

"Die!" Aria growled.

"Help!" Kitty yelped. Relena turned, her face positively livid as she saw what was happening.

"Miss Connson!" Relena growled. "Release Miss Kaetheryne right now or you'll be expelled!"

"Promise?" Was Aria's bright-eyed response, and despite being in the middle of being choked, Kitty laughed.

"D-Duo!" Kitty cried as Aria made a grab for the camera. "Catch!" And she tossed the disposable camera towards the braided pilot, who caught it, smirked at a fierce fully growling Heero, and made for the door. Aria, seeing the change in carriers of the elusive camera, released her laughing best friend and joined Heero in the chase of the American-baka.

"What is going on here?" Relena demanded near tears as she watched Duo flee from the wrath of the angry and very capable of killing pair, knocking over whole bookshelves and other things in the process.

Seeing that she was about to faint, Quatre helped the ex-princess to a chair. 

"Breathe, Miss Relena" he instructed. Relena gasped, attempting to comply. Just then Duo leapt out of the window, sending bits of glass everywhere and landing safely on the ground, for they were on the first floor.

Wufei watched the fiasco from the hallway and frowned in distaste. So that's what they called 'watching them'? This was plain embarrassment. Well, he could expect something like this from Duo, but never Heero. He shook his head in disbelief that he had once respected and maybe even admired, the Zero pilot. With a sigh he turned and headed toward the gym to work out and hopefully forget what he has seen.

Duo ran, tossed the camera back to Kitty, who made a mad dash out the door, Aria, Heero, and Duo hot on her heels, leaving Quatre laughing in amusement, a hyperventilating Relena, and a smirking Trowa in the library.

Kitty, using every ounce of grace and speed and agility from her dancing classes, maneuvered in and out and around students, teachers, professors, open doors, lockers, puddles, TV's being pushed to a different room, and then out the front door of the main building. She glanced over her shoulder; all three of her chasers were still in pursuit, though she knew Duo was chasing Aria and Heero, not her.

 It was because of this split second glance over her shoulder that Kitty didn't see the primly dressed man in a suit and sunglasses, carrying a manila folder. With an 'oof' Kitty went sprawling back on her behind, the camera flying from her hands to land on the concrete with a crack. Kitty, mourning the loss of such valuable blackmail, then turned to the object that had made her fall to deliver a scalding glare.

The man only glared down at her.

"I am looking for a Mr. Duo Maxwell and Mr. Heero Yuy." He said stiffly.

"Th-that...that w-would be..." Duo gasped as he came running up. "That would be...us..." He waved to Heero -who had barely broken a sweat- and himself.

The man flipped open the folder and regarded two photos, then the two youths before him. Satisfied that they were who they claimed to be, he pulled out two crisp envelopes from inside his suit jacket pocket, on the inside of the jacket. 

"These are for you, sirs, invitations to the annual rose gala at the Rosenburg Estate in Tokyo. RSVP is appreciated." Without another word, he snapped his heels together, turned, and walked to the black jaguar that was waiting, got in, and drove away.

"What was that all about?" Aria asked with a scowl as she caught up, the teacher that had slowed her down, still yelling something across the hall. 

"Hey looks we go invited to some big party." Duo grinned, overlooking the invitation. Heero looked it over briefly as well and proceeded to shove it into his jacket pocket.

"Are you gonna go?" Kitty inquired, forgetting about the camera. 

"Of course we're gonna go, sweet cheeks!" Duo beamed, reached down and swooped Kitty up into his arms, invitation still in hand. "And you're going with me!" He declared.  Kitty squealed and laughed in delight, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her 'bride o'er the threshold' style. She kicked up one leg and kissed him on the cheek.

Aria only rolled her eyes, but discreetly glanced at the Prussian blue eyed pilot out of the corner of her eye...a slight bubble of hope welling up...

That bubble burst when all Heero said was 'hn' and he turned and headed back inside.

"We should probably get going," Kitty said regrettably, laying her head on Duo's shoulder and pouting as he set her down. Aria scowled.

"Yeah," She said, and sighed. "Anger management, here I come."

**To be continued…**

**_Alexia:_**_ Welcome, one and all! Welcome to the circus we call a story! So, howdya like it, peeps? Think Kitty was evil enough to Aria? *rubs hands together evilly* heh heh, I think not..._

**Arion:** *rolls eyes* Must I remind you what happened last time you acted like an idiot? *shakes head* Anyway, yeah, here it is. Hope you liked, if not, too bad. No one forced you to read it.

**Alexia:** Too true. ^^ Anyhoo, want more? Review. Don't want more? Review anyway. Constructive criticism is good for the soul. Until next time!

**Arion:**  *under her breath* So is shuttin' up when you're told.. *clears throat* And to all who are interested, Chapter 4 of my solo fanfic "Double Identity", the Sequel to "Predator", is up! 

**Alexia:** GO READ IT!!!!! It's good, and I'm not just sayin' cuz she'll beat me to a bloody pulp if I don't. ^^; It really is good. You'll enjoy it, I promise.

**_Arion:_**_ *smirks* Damn f-*cough* straight. *gives Alexia an exasperated look* I know, I know, 'watch your mouth'._

_ **Alexia:** *smiles innocently* In your words, damn straight. *smirks*_

**_Arion:_**_ Wipe that smirk off your face, blondie, you're scarin' away the readers. *places duct tape over Alexia's mouth* There y'all go. Now you can review in peace.  _

**_Alexia:_**_ *glares* *sends telepathic razzberries*_

**_Arion:_**_ *smirks in satisfaction*_

**All standard disclaimers apply. See 'Chapter One: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover' for full details.**


	4. Chapter Three: Things That Go Bump in th...

**Eraser**

****

_By **Arion**__ and **Alexia Goddess**_

**Chapter Three**

_Things That Go Bump in the Night_

Aria sighed and stepped through the door into the brightly lit room of her anger management class. Upon looking around and seeing that she was the only girl in the place she scowled. She wouldn't have been there if Kitty hadn't cried that she didn't want her 'best friend' expelled and made Duo give her a ride. The professor in the corner by a desk looked up at her through his glasses with surprise. 

"Are you sure you're in the right place, miss? The romance novels club meets next door." 

Aria glared at him and without a word stalked to the nearest seat. 

"Ooh yeah, she's in the right place" one of the guys in the back row of the class howled and she could feel him looking her up and down.

Aria stiffened as she heard a lusty snicker from him. She, eyes burning with rage, turned and smiled sweetly.

"Oh, yes, I'm here for anger management," She said sweetly. The boy swallowed. "Would you like to know why? I'd be happy to give you a first hand demonstration."

The boy's companions laughed, but the laughter was quickly stopped when she turned her glare on them.

"Miss Connson, please have a seat," The teacher said briskly. "We're here to learn to control our anger, not feed it."

"Just learning to control your anger doesn't lessen it any," Aria smirked and the teacher flushed with either anger or embarrassment; Aria couldn't tell and didn't care. She took a seat, opened her notebook, and prepared herself for boredom deluxe.

*          *          *

"And up, and down, and down, and up, and down….lower slowly….now up again, hold it, hold it, hold…hold….and lower…. Good, very good."

Kitty, glowing with the satisfaction that comes with performing an exercise to perfection, lowered her right leg as commanded, slowly, until the tips of her pointed toes barely touched the floor, her arms swooped out in front of her in a graceful arch.

"Lovely, demoiselle Sinclair," Mademoiselle Courler complimented Kitty's posture. "I did not think it possible for you to improve on that exercise, and here you are almost better than I!"

"Merci, Mademoiselle," Kitty smiled. Only Courler was allowed to speak English during class. It was an exercise for them all to speak only French.

"Now, ladies, to the floor," Mademoiselle clapped her hands, and the girls, all clad in matching black leotards, pink tights, and gauzy, sheer pink wrap around skirts that went to mid thigh. All hair was done up in a neat bun, with any bangs clipped back.

            Everyone gathered in a 'window' pattern, so that everyone had a clear view of themselves in the wall-to-wall mirror.

They began, with Courler's leadership, the complex, muscle loosening waves and sweeps and swoops exercise moves of the arms. But before they had been going even five minutes, a throat was cleared, and Mademoiselle turned and her eyes widened.

"Monsier Paradi!" Mademoiselle Courler motioned for the class to continue the patterns of arm movements as she went to greet the newcomer. Kitty watched, as if out of a habit that she had no idea where she acquired from, out of the corner of her eye, carefully reading lips -another talent she wasn't quite sure where she'd picked up- and never missing a beat of the music or her movements all the while.

"I'm afraid we have an emergency, Mrs. Courler," Paradi said softly. Kitty 'heard' this and resisted the urge to frown; that would give away that she was listening.

            "What's wrong?" Courler said, concerned.

            "There…there was an accident…your daughter…."

"Oh my God… Is she alright?" That was all Kitty was able to make out, for as soon as she said that, Paradi guided her outside.

It was a few minutes later before another woman entered, this one clad in a white leotard and a black skirt.

"Salute," The new arrival greeted them in  French.

"Bojour," The class, including Kitty, replied.

"I am Mademoiselle Clarise, and I shall be filling in for Mademoiselle Courler for the rest of this class and perhaps tomorrow as well." She said this in rapid French in an uninterested tone. "Let us now move on to partner patterns, eh? I see we have an uneven number, so one of you will work with me."

Immediately the class began to pair off. This was an exercise where a pair of dancers would make up their own short, eight pace dance piece and practice it.

*          *          *

With a sour look on her face Aria stepped out of the building and with a swoosh the door shut behind her. She pulled off the tacky red and white beaded bracelet she was forced to wear off of her wrist and shoved it into her pocket. A cold breeze ruffled her hair and she rubbed her arms, shivering. She didn't have a watch so she didn't know exactly what time it was, but she knew it was late judging by the darkness and the moon high up in the sky. Lighting bugs danced in the night, but she didn't pay much attention to them.  

Crossing the street into the woods for a shortcut, she continued slowly on her way back to her and Kitty's suite on the opposite side of campus. It was Thursday, but she didn't have to worry about having to get up early for classes the following morning because school was closed for a reason she did not know. She had walked a fair distance from the building when she had thought she heard something behind her. Stopping, she listened, but didn't hear anything except the sounds of the night. Shrugging it off as her imagination or one of the guys from the class at the least, she continued walking. 

Suddenly Aria froze. She hadn't heard or seen anything, it was more like a feeling. She stood unmoving, every muscle in her body alert and just when she was about to dismiss it, she felt something brush against the back of her neck. She broke into a run. 

Branches and thorns tore at her bare arms, but she continued running. Her right ankle caught in something and she fell harshly onto her stomach. Not stopping for a second, adrenaline keeping her from feeling the pain, she jumped up and continued running, distinct fully hearing the footsteps behind her now. 

She looked over her shoulder briefly, stumbled through shrubbery, nearly loosing her footing once again and ran directly into someone. Her head snapped up, preparing to see her stalker, but instead met the Prussian blue eyes of the all too familiar soldier. 

"H-Heero..." Aria gasped.

"What are you doing out here?" Heero asked, his voice -unsurprisingly- flat and cold.

"I was on my way back to Kitty and my suite...there was someone following me... I ran... I...I must have lost him...her...whoever it was..."

Had it been anyone else, Heero would have told them they were imagining things and to go home and get some rest. But this was Aria, and she didn't imagine things. And what's more, by then she had a reputation that would prevent anyone from trying to pull a prank on her, especially one of this magnitude. 

Heero, being the perfect solider as always, was aware that his hands were still on Aria's shoulders as she fought to catch her breath. But it seemed she had forgotten, and now noticed, for her cheeks flamed up into a rosy red as she pulled away. A root tripped Aria as she stumbled back, and she fell with a cry.   

Hiding amusement, Heero didn't bother to give her a hand up; she only would have shunned it, he knew by then. But when Aria was having trouble getting up, without difficulty it was then he spotted, with a muttered curse, her swelling ankle.   

"You're hurt." Heero stated. Aria rolled her eyes as she finally, grabbing onto a sturdy branch of a low bush, pulled herself to her feet with a wince.

"Gee, you noticed. How kind." It was then that, at this callus statement, Heero looked her over and discovered a long list of scrapes, bumps, cuts, and other multiple injuries. 

"Your suite cabin is this way," Heero said, his way of saying that they should get her to where she could get some treatment. Aria tried to stumble towards the direction Heero indicated, and promptly tripped over a rise in the dirt ground. Heero caught her, and she, struggling, tried to pull away, insisting she could get there on her own. 

"You're injured, you've just proven unable to walk, and you've had a shaking experience." Despite his words being that of someone gruff, but concerned, his tone was anything but; cold and emotionless as always, he sounded like a machine stating statistics and facts. 

 Aria was about to comment on this, when, completely without warning, the one called 'the perfect soldier' bent over slightly, and picked her up. Aria screeched and immediately began setting about his head and shoulders with well-placed smacks and jabs. Heero never even blinked, and, halfway to her cabin suite, she gave up, and resigned herself to this embarrassment, all the while denying the slightly pleased glow on her cheeks...

*

"You don't have to do this, you know," Aria grumbled several minutes later as she reached down from her position to unlock the door to hers and Kitty's suite.

"I know," was all Heero said as he kicked open the door, Aria flicked on the lights, and they stepped inside. Heero shut the door behind him with his foot.

"In fact, you probably shouldn't be doing this," Aria fumbled as Heero set her on the counter in the bathroom and opened the cabinet under the sink to retrieve the first aid kit, which was standard, as was its position in every suite.

"Why not?" Heero asked. Actually, the tone wasn't all that much of a question, but the words were. Aria swallowed as he removed her boot with surprising tenderness.

"B-because... well, think of your reputation!" she grappled for words. "A guy carrying a girl into her apartment...when everyone knows that the other occupant of that place is gone... Gossip is an ugly thing."

"Rumors only get to you if you're weak and let them," Heero told her. It hadn't escaped him how she had discreetly reminded him that Kitty wasn't at her cabin on Thursday nights; she was at her dance class most of the afternoon, and he remembered that she and Duo had planned to go dancing that evening.

"You sound like Wufei" she commented as she watched him bandage her hurt ankle, remembering the time she twisted it in karate, but continued the training nevertheless. She winced; it was turning a purplish black and she knew she wouldn't be able to walk properly for at least a few days. She silently cursed herself for tripping in the first place. 

"Did you get a look at whoever was chasing you?" Heero asked.

 Aria shook her head.

"No," She said. "Ouch!" Came a cry of mild pain as Heero wetted a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and applied it to a particularly nasty gash on her upper arm. At the same time the burning sensation licked her arm in what felt like stinging fire. She mourned the loss of one of her favorite tops, now torn and bloody.

Then, to Aria's surprise, Heero blew on the cut, relieving the pain quite a bit. They proceeded like this, Aria bit her lip against a hiss of pain each time he wetted a new cotton ball and wiped her cuts and scrapes clean, and he blowing on them gently till the stinging stopped. 

Once all the cuts were taken care of, he looked her over one last time to make sure he hadn't missed anything. A flash of bright red caught his eye and he reached up, pulling aside a strand of her long hair. A shiver ran down Aria's spine it took all self-control she had to conceal it. What he had seen turned out to be blood from a nasty bruised carve on the side of her head. Aria winced as his fingers brushed against it. She figured she must've hit her head when she fell. That would explain the slight dizziness and somewhat blurred vision now and then. 

She reached up to sweep her hair to the side and her hand brushed his briefly, sending another shiver down her spine. 

She looked past him as he wetted another cotton ball.

"I shouldn't have run," she said suddenly, more so to herself than Heero.  

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Heero said.

"I _ran_!" Aria said. "_I_ ran from something I should have faced!"

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

"Is that all you're gonna say?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Was that a hint of humor she detected? She blinked. Had he been teasing? No, surely not… Aria sighed.

"I should have stayed and fought…"

"You had no idea who you were dealing with," Heero told her, as he put a pad of medicated gauze over the gash on the side of her forehead. "You had no weapon, you were tired and in not a very good condition to fight."

"Oh, yeah, and I'm in such better condition now," Aria said with mock seriousness. Heero only glanced at her angry eyes before returning to his task of securely taping down the gauze pad.

"You wouldn't have run," Aria said quietly after a moment. Heero, who was in the process of putting the medical supplies away, turned to her suddenly and gripped her shoulder to make her look at him.

"Don't." He said.

"Don't what?" Aria blinked. She wanted to shrug off his hand, honestly, she did, but…some part of her wouldn't let her, some part basked in his touch…. 

"Don't compare yourself to me," He told her, his voice as cold as his eyes. The difference was that while his voice was also flat, his eyes were anything but; they were alive with a sudden passion Aria couldn't identify.

"I wasn't…" Aria pulled away slightly, but he didn't relinquish his hold. "I was just stating a fact that you wouldn't have run away if you thought yourself being followed."

"Nothing is black and white," He told her.

"Huh?" She blinked.

"I might have run, it depends on the circumstances. I may fight because it is necessary, I may run because it is necessary."

"But you'd never run because you were afraid." Aria said bluntly. Heero released her shoulder and returned to putting the medical supplies back in the first aid kit box. Aria noticed that he neither denied nor confirmed her statement.

"Take two aspirin every six hours," He told her, without looking at her, and moved to leave. Aria moved to jump down off the counter…somehow she knew even before she was fully off the counter that she would land in a way that could very well break her weakened ankle…but she was too far off to jump back up….

Heero whirled and caught her. Simple as that.

"Be more careful," was all he said, his face dangerously close to hers… He let go of her, turned and left.

Aria touched her lips where she had felt his breath warm them, and shivered. He might as well have kissed her; the sensation was so strong…

It was then that Aria realized that Heero had known when she'd come out of her class…

But she hadn't told him…

How did he know…? 

Aria drew in a sharp breath. He hadn't been…watching her, had he? Why would he? He didn't like her like _that, so…_

Why…?

She sighed and limped into the living room, falling heavily onto the couch and grabbing the TV remote. Still stuck on her thoughts, she flipped through the channels until she found an action movie she liked and grinned. This would help. 

She'd been watching the movie for about and hour when the front door opened and Kitty waltzed in waving to Duo as he drove off. She went straight for the kitchen and Aria heard her grab a glass from the cupboard. 

"How was you date?" Aria called halfheartedly. 

"Amazing" the blonde breathed dreamily. She turned, walked out of the kitchen, and promptly dropped her glass.

"What happened to you?!" she screeched. 

Aria didn't move a muscle.

"Nothing"

"Aria, seriously, what happened to you?" Kitty came and knelt on the floor, and, in typical Kitty fashion, began to see for herself the extent of the damage, checking wounds, feeling for bumps and bruises on her scalp. "Whoever did all this…I swear, that bastard is gonna…"

"First off, I never said it was a guy, and second, leave the protective threats against best friend offenders to me, okay?" Aria couldn't help but smile. Kitty looked sheepish.

"But really," The blonde asked, sitting on the coffee table. "What happened? When? Why didn't you call me?"

"It only happened a little while ago," Aria told her. "I'm fine. Just a few bumps and scrapes."

"You call this just a few bumps and scrapes?" Kitty screeched. "And who did the bandaging? I know it wasn't you, cause, no offense, even with all the practice you've had since you were old enough to put on a band aid by yourself, you're lousy at dressing wounds."

"Heero found me and carried me back and helped me," Aria said in a rushed, but still somehow nonchalant voice as she turned up the volume on the TV slightly. Kitty, not getting the hint that that was her cue to leave, sat there, jaw dropped for a full minute.

"_What?!_" Aria finally snapped and glared at the blonde. "Is there some other detail you are dying to know? Because frankly, there aren't any!"

Her tone was slightly more brittle and harsh than normal, and Kitty backed off. She went into her room and took a shower. Then after changing, came out to say goodnight to Aria, who mumbled a barely comprehensible response.  

Then, just as Aria was about to drag herself onto her feet and go to her own bed, Kitty popped her head back into the room.

"Oh, and don't forget about tomorrow!" She said in a singsong voice.

"What the hell is going on tomorrow?" Aria grumbled.

"Shopping, duh! The gala is on Sunday! Tomorrow's Saturday! We need to get dresses, shoes, jewelry, perfume, handbags, wraps, new pantyhose... not to mention pre-select our hair styles and set appointments...get manicures…maybe pedicures, too...or maybe..." Kitty's voice faded away as she walked down the hallway and back to her room. Aria's head, with a groan, collapsed back into her pillow.

"Why me?" Was all she said. She didn't expect an answer.

"Why not you?" Kitty called, giggling.

Aria only scowled.

**To be continued…**

****

**_Arion_****_:  __Hey all. Just me here today, Alexia wasn't able to make it for she had been sick. This chapter had took us longer to get out than we would have liked, for reasons I wont disclose, but here it is anyway. Hope ya liked it and the next chapter should be up sometime this week. It's our way of makin' it up to y'all for takin' this long. _**

**All standard disclaimers apply. See 'Chapter One: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover' for full details.**


	5. Chapter Four: Target One

**Eraser**

****

_By _**Arion**_ and _**Alexia Goddess**

**Chapter Four**

_Target One_

Bright and early the following morning Aria was awoken by her alarm clock. She turned over, thinking she was dreaming it for she was sure she hadn't set an alarm the night before. Then when the ringing didn't stop for a few moments and she was sure she wasn't dreaming it, she reached over to her night table, found the clock and hurled it at the wall. 

Pulling her head under the pillow she closed her eyes and began to fall asleep, only to be shaken awake by someone. In a split second she grabbed the pillow and brought it down full force on the person's head receiving a muffled groan in return. 

"Get lost," she mumbled as she pulled the covers over her head. 

Before she knew it, she was stripped off her last source of warmth – the covers. She sat up then, angrily glaring at a grinning Kitty. 

"Do you know what time it is?!" she shouted as Kitty laughed and slipped out of the room. Aria growled as she stood and limped out of her room. She stumbled through the living room, completely ignoring the fact that Duo was sitting on their couch, and into the kitchen to grab herself a glass of water and the much needed aspirins. 

"Aria, Duo's giving us a ride." Kitty grinned as she jumped up to sit on the edge of the counter. 

"Correction, he's giving _you_ a ride." Aria replied as she swallowed the aspirins and drank half a glass of water.

"Aw, come on Aria, don't be that way. Don't you wanna come to the gala with us?" Duo grinned, "By the way, what happened to you?"

"Ugh! Do you two _think_ alike too?!" Aria growled, "And I'm not going anywhere. Incase you haven't noticed, I wasn't invited. Besides, I'll much rather stay here." 

Duo looked at her, purposely locking his eyes with hers, but realized helplessly that even with all the pilot experience, he couldn't read past her fury. 

"Well...." Kitty, having suddenly realized Aria was right, was trying to deal with the guilt of accidentally rubbing it in that she was going to one of the grandest galas of the year, and her best friend wasn't. "Well, you could come with us, anyway," Kitty said. "We still need to get outfits for the Homecoming Dance."

"We did that last week, remember?" Aria snapped. "You got that white dress, I got the red one."

"Um...actually....remember how we got the red one at discount 'cause it was dirty?" Kitty swallowed and began twiddling her fingers. Aria stopped her elevation of her glass on its way to her mouth, recognizing the look and the finger twiddling. 

"What did you do to it?" Aria demanded. Kitty, looking sheepish, put on her most innocent look.

"Um...well...I washed it...and I got the stain out...but...I kind of...sort of...didn't see the...um, I kind of missed the 'dry cleaning only' part on the tag....so...um....it's not really...it's kind of not much of a dress anymore..."

"You _what_?!" Kitty cringed under her friend's glare. To her surprise Aria sighed and waved her off as she leaned against the counter.

"Doesn't matter, I'm not going anyway. Miss Relena's orders," she rolled her eyes, "Not that I'd listen to her, but if I do show up I'm gonna be thrown out anyway."

Both Kitty and Duo gaped at her with their jaws dropped.

"What?" Aria raised an eyebrow, "Anyway, have fun and do send me a postcard."

Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. 

"Aria...." Kitty said, her voice concerned.

"Don't, Kitty," Aria sighed. "Look, I'm just tired and sore from last night, okay? You two go have fun."

"I'm not gonna leave you here while I go off and 'have fun'!" Kitty protested. Aria knew that tone. Compromise time.

"Okay, listen," Aria said, flicking on the coffee maker. "You go and get all your doodads and pretty stuff, and if you see a dress you think I'd like, get it for me, okay? And if I start feeling better I'll take the bus and come find you, alright?"

"Promise?" Kitty touched her arm. Aria smiled. She really was lucky to have a friend who put her welfare first.

"Promise," Aria said. Kitty raised a fist, pinky finger extended, her face fixed in a cute pout. Aria laughed and hooked her pinky with Kitty. "Pinky promise." Aria added. Normally she wouldn't be caught dead doing the pinky promise; she and Kitty hadn't done it since they were ten. But she felt like doing something for old times sake, so she humored her best friend and had done it anyway.

"Now go have fun and flash that credit card, 'kay?" Aria told her. Kitty hugged her tight.

"Thanks Ari," Kitty told her, smiling. "Why don't you order a pizza, or something? Oh, and give yourself a manicure while you watch a movie? You can use my nail polish kit!"

"Thanks," Aria called as Kitty left the kitchen, grabbed her purse and her coat, waved, and left.

Aria limped to the door and locked it, then turning, made her way back into her room to change. Putting on a pair of shorts and a sleeveless top, she brushed her hair out and let it hang loose almost down to her waist. As she went back into the living room, a thought struck her and deciding to forget about breakfast, she turned and left the suite, locking the door behind her. 

*

It was early morning, and she was the only one in sight as she hobbled onto the target practice field and into the small house to rent a gun. An old man behind the counter smiled at her as she came inside. 

 "Aria! Where have you been? I haven't seen you around lately," he grinned.

"Well, let's see," the brunette smiled as she made it to the counter and leaned against it, setting her elbows on the countertop. "Detention, homework, detention, school, dance, detention…" She counted off on her fingers as the man laughed. 

"I'm sensing a pattern." he smiled, turning to the rack behind him. "The usual?"

She nodded and he handed over a gun. 

"Thanks." she said and headed out the back door onto the field. A smile crossed her lips for she knew Relena would drop dead if she ever saw her with a gun in her hands. The thought was a sweet one.

*

Aria hadn't been at the field for more than half an hour but she had already gone through all the different courses and hadn't missed once. She had always been good with a gun, even though she had never really learned. But she'd stopped thinking about it long ago, she enjoyed shooting and that's all that mattered. She shifted her weight to another foot as she aimed at a target particularly far away. Her hands shook slightly, and she got that feeling she always got when she was being watched. She overlooked the surroundings quickly but saw nothing. Still, the feeling wouldn't leave and she decided to head home. 

After turning in the gun, she slowly limped back to the suite. After fumbling with the keys for a few moments only to realize the door was unlocked, she pushed it open, completely forgetting that she had locked it when leaving. She froze abruptly. The entire apartment looked like there was either a fight or a massive tornado. Everything that could have been broken, turned over or torn down, was. She walked in slowly, careful not to trip over anything. Suddenly she froze in the middle of the room, her sixth sense kicking in full blast. It was the same feeling that had told her to run the past night and without a second thought she dropped to the floor. 

There were blasts and then the squealing of tires. As Aria looked up cautiously, four neat bullet holes decorated the front window. 

"What happened." Per usual, it was a demand for an explanation, not a question.

"Nice to see you, too, Mr. Yuy," Aria snapped as she picked herself up off the shattered remains of a vase. Luckily, thanks to the thick material of her tank top, only minor cuts adorned her abdomen.

"What happened." Heero asked again, as Aria limped over to him. He noticed that the bandage on the cut on her forehead was gone, and the wound had been reopened and was bleeding profusely, turning her chocolate colored hair a red burgundy.

"I don't know," Aria snapped. "I was a bit busy dodging bullets." She sighed and rolled her eyes at the 'deathglare' that was thrown her way over Heero's shoulder as he went to examine the bullet holes in the window.

"I went out for some target practice to pass time 'till Duo and Kitty get back-"

"Where did they go?" Heero narrowed his eyes at the bullet holes, then squatted to look over the lock on the door.

"To the mall," Aria said, irritated. "Do you want to know what happened or not."

"Hn."

"Thought so," Aria bent over and picked up a tipped over plant and set it upright, and scooped up what dirt she could and put it back in the pot. "I went to do some shooting to pass time, felt myself being watched, got uneasy, so I decided to come back and the place was unlocked and like this. A weird sort of sixth sense kicked in, I 'hit the deck,' the windows decided to get 'holy' and I heard tires burning rubber. Then you came. The end."

Heero either missed the sarcasm or ignored it, but either way, he stood, turned, and left without a word.

"Gee, thanks ever so much with your help cleaning up!" Aria shouted after him, scowling. There was no reply. She looked around, frowning. After examining the kitchen, the bathroom, and hers and Kitty's room, it was confirmed; whoever had broken in had not only trashed the living room, but every inch of the entire cabin suite.

But what was even more puzzling, was that nothing had been stolen…

"They were looking for something…" Aria murmured, eyes narrowed. But what? Her frown deepened as that thought expanded to include, "Or someone…"

Suddenly, out of the blue, Aria thought of Kitty.

If they hadn't found what they were looking for here…

"Oh, God…" Aria, suddenly forgetting her limp and her slashed and bloody appearance, dashed out the door, not even bothering to close it, and sprinted for the nearest bus stop, praying she was wrong…

**To be continued…**

**_Arion: _**_Well, here it is, early as promised._ _Alexia should be back soon and the next chapter should be up within this week. By the way, we're beginnin' to get disappointed that we've worked so hard and this fic's getting' hardly any reviews. If things don't pick up, we just might remove it until future reference. So, review, ne?_

**All standard disclaimers apply. See 'Chapter One: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover' for full details.**


	6. Chapter Five: Target Two

**Eraser  
  
**

_By _**Arion**_ and _**Alexia Goddess**

**Chapter Five**

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_Target Two_

"May I help you, miss?"

Kitty turned to see a middle-aged lady in a dark suit and glasses. She would've never guessed she worked there.

"Um, yes. Do you have this in blue?" Kitty asked shoving a fancy pink dress into the lady's face. Mary, judging by the nametag, frowned and pushed Kitty's hand out of her sight of vision.  

"I think so miss, why don't you come into the back with me?" she said, her eyes never leaving Kitty.

The blonde opened her mouth to answer when a white dress caught her eye and she squealed in delight. Mary frowned as she took off to the opposite side of the store, and followed.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," Kitty apologized in a distracted tone as she examined the gown. "I'm waiting for a friend. He'll be back any minute. If you don't mind, once he gets back he could come with me."

"No men allowed back." Mary suppressed the snappishness in her voice audibly.

"No men in the back?" Kitty blinked big blue eyes. "That's silly." She looked at the pink dress in her hand, then at the white one.. 

"Hmmm..." She sighed and put the white one back. "Well, never mind. I'll just keep looking."

"Really miss, it's no trouble, and it will only take a minute," Mary recovered quickly and smiled politely.

"No, really, that's all right," Kitty threw her a smile. "Now that I look at it, I don't think it would look all that good on me, even in blue." Kitty said, regarding the pink dress for a moment. "Yes, I don't think it would be all that flattering... oh well." She put it back on the –wrong- rack and walked away after throwing a 'thank you' over her shoulder. Had she actually looked back, she would have seen 'Mary's' eyebrow twitch.

"You know, miss, I think I saw a dress back there would be perfect for you" she called as she caught up to Kitty. 

"Really?" the girl replied half interested as she looked through yet another rack of dresses, most of them in red.

"Oh yes," Mary replied as she looked around the store frantically, "It's um, blue and uh, French style"

"French style?" Kitty raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you know, the latest fashion!"  

"Hm, well, that's nice, but I think the Gala is a costume party this year," Kitty said apologetically. "I'm looking for something that can be converted into a Fairy Queen costume, and French really wouldn't do it. Thank you for the suggestion, though."

A pair of violet eyes narrowed as he watched Kitty from a few feet away, behind her, behind a taller rack of skirts. _'The gala isn't a costume party...'_ Duo mused. _'And she knows it. What's she talking about?'_

Mary, forcing a smile, nodded, turned, and walked away. Duo decided to simply watch...

"Oh, perfect!" Kitty exclaimed a moment later, and pulled out a breathtakingly lovely gown. It was pale, creamy white gold, like a silver with a warm golden glow to it. It was long and full skirted, with an empire waist. 

Kitty rushed to the changing room, and came out a moment later to look at herself in one of the huge wall mirrors. The sight of her twirling in such a lovely gown made Duo's throat catch.

"Oh, miss, how perfect!" 'Mary' exclaimed, appearing again.

"Isn't it?" Kitty gushed. "And with some high heels and my hair curled...maybe some gloves..."

"It is quite the dress, and you look so stunning!" Mary attempted to 'gush.' Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh, ma'am!" She said, taking Kitty's arm. "I just remembered! A photographer was supposed to come today and take pictures of a few of our models in some of our newest dresses, and this is one of the dresses. One of our models called in sick, but you look so much better in the dress than she did, anyway! The photographer should be here by now, in our studio in the back. Oh, please say you'll fill it! It pays five hundred per picture, regardless of which of the pictures we use!"

"Five hundred an picture?" Kitty raised an eyebrow. "That sure does sound nice... I'd love to...!" A look of triumph flashed across Mary's face...

"-But I'm afraid I can't," Kitty pouted. "I never do anything like that without talking to my lawyer, and he's in LA for vacation. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I- Duo!" She called, finally spotting him. He smiled and stepped into view. Something flitted over Mary's eyes, and she, after staring at Duo with some unidentified expression, made a hasty retreat.

"You like?" Kitty giggled, twirling, throwing a mischievous, smug look after Mary. It was then that Duo began to suspect that Kitty had been very well aware of Mary's odd behavior and over enthusiastic attempts to, for some unknown reason, lure her into the back.

"It looks smashing!" Duo declared, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek.

"Glad you like it," Kitty smiled. "I think- Aria!" Kitty suddenly screeched. Duo whirled to see a bloody, exhausted, limping, wild-eyed Aria burst into the shop.

She spotted them in seconds and surprisingly fast flew over to them. 

"Kitty…you're okay…" the brunette breathed and nearly collapsed had Duo not caught her and sat her down gently. Kitty dropped down on her knees next to her friend.

"Aria! What happened to you? Again?" she cried, near hysterics. 

Somewhat catching her breath Aria eyed her friend just to make sure she really was okay. Once she was sure, she scrambled to her feet and Kitty did the same.

"Um, someone broke into our suite," she stated almost matter-of-factly. Kitty's jaw dropped. "Oh, and someone tried to kill me too," Aria continued quickly, seeing the panic in her friend's eyes, "Hey! You found the dress!" 

"Uh, yeah, you like it?" Kitty twirled once more, snapping out of her shocked daze at the Aria's last statement with surprising swiftness. Aria smiled, then groaned and leaned over. The movement caused the blood that had dried with her shirt to crack, opening the small gashes once more.

"Oh, God, we've got to get you to a hospital, or something!" Kitty said. "I'll go change real quick." True to her word, in a few minutes Kitty was back in her own black jeans and green halter top. "Let's go," She said, and she and Duo gently helped Aria to her feet, all of them stumbling out of the shop and out of the mall to the sidewalk, where they found a payphone and Kitty called an ambulance.

All the while, with Aria slowly loosing it, Duo was the only one that had the sensation of eyes watching them…

Standing next to and slightly behind a tall decorative pillar, 'Mary' snarled something into a cell phone, glared after the Gundam Pilot and the two girls, turned, and walked away, discarding the nametag and tossing it into a garbage can as she passed it, storming out of the store and heading the other way.

*

Aria awoke feeling refreshed and….well, just really good. The smell of…cleanliness and sterile stuff met her nose; a hospital. Indeed, when Aria opened her eyes, she found herself staring up at a hospital ceiling. She remembered the ambulance had come to the mall, driven her to the hospital, where she had been put to sleep while her wounds had been stitched up. They'd been afraid of a concussion, but she was fine. That had been yesterday…

The gala was in just a day! A brief feeling of excitement, then a crushing disappointment flooded her emotions. Duo was only allowed to take one person…and the other G-boys were either going alone, or already had a date…

"Ah, Miss Connson, you're awake," A nurse said cheerfully as she entered the room. Aria put up with her fawning and pulse taking, and note making, and pointless chit-chat, just praying for her to leave. At last she was done, and moved to exit the room.

"Oh, a young gentleman left this for you early this morning, Miss Connson," The nurse said, turning back as she remembered. Off a chair to Aria's left, which Aria hadn't noticed, she lifted a large square box and put it in Aria's arms, then, winking at her, turned and left.

Aria opened the box, not bothering to hide the surprised look on her face, and on top of the multitude of tissue paper -which was folded in the way professional wrappers as stores did it- she found a single square of stiff paper. On it was a short message.

_'You are in danger and therefore cannot be left alone. You will be attending the Gala with me. I know you didn't have a suitable dress, so Kathaeryne gave me your dress size and I got this. Wear it. There will be a car to pick you up from the hospital at __seven pm__ and take you and Kathaeryne to the airport. Be ready._

_-Heero Yuy.'_

Had Aria been the type, she may as well have fainted. As it was, she stared at the card, jaw dropped and gaping, for a full minute before closing her mouth, setting the card on the table beside her and parting the sea of tissue paper. What met her eyes made her gasp. A gown of deep, deep red wine silk with a transparent, gauzy over layer of a black, see-through material, beaded with black embroidery lay in the box. It was off the shoulders, and judging from the amount of material, it was floor length.

Aria smiled, and looked at the card.

"Thanks, Heero," She said, grinning. "Thanks."

To be continued… 

**Alexia**: Sorry for the long wait, all! Hope it was worth it, though. I'm all better, now; big thank you to everyone for all your great get-well wishes! Chapters may be slightly slow in coming, as school decided to come around and bit me in the butt, which means less internet time. *slaps on halo* But I might be moved to work on that algebra faster if I know how much this story is liked... *hint hint*

_Arion: __*giving Alexia a sour look* Yes, well, __I'm__ not sick. _ _Alexia:__ Eh,  point. But I've got the html converter. *smirks teasingly* _

            **_Arion: _**_*scowls* Don't push it, blondie._

**_Alexia:_**_ *laugh* Yes ma'am. *winks at readers* You guys get the drift. Review or else._

**_Arion: _**_And trust me, you don't want to find out what 'or else' is. *innocent smile* Not that we'd ever threaten anyone…_

**_Alexia_**_: Of course not, nope, not us! *innocent look* *waves* Until next time! Keep those reviews coming! They feed our muses! Ja!_

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All standard disclaimers apply. See 'Chapter One: Never Judge a Book by Its' Cover' for full details.

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	7. Dear Readers

_Dear Readers,_

_We regret to inform you, but we will not be updating this fic for a while. Before you say it, it's not because of the lack of reviews, although that **was rather discouraging. We simply realized that the fic was in no form to be posted, so we are going to do some heavy editing. Fix things, add scenes, you know, stuff like that. Also, no, we don't know when it will be put up again. When it is, it also might show up under one of our solo accounts: Alexia Goddess or Arion. Most likely, we'll post a notice on this page, with a link. Thanks for staying with the story! Until then, ja ne.**_

_~Inverted Shadows, better known as Arion and Alexia.  _


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